While the Covid-19 pandemic is spreading rapidly, no action has yet been taken on political prisoners held in Turkish jails. The prisoners' relatives are calling on the AKP-MHP regime to release prisoners.

In particular, relatives of sick prisoners are very worried for the insensitivity of the relevant ministries and government agencies on this issue. The husband of HDP Mardin former deputy Gülser Yıldırım, who has spent a total 9 years in prisons, and is in Kandira Prison since 4 November 2016, Kamuran Yıldırım spoke to ANF about his wife's conditions.

Kamuran Yıldırım is the former President of the Mardin Chamber of Physicians and currently serving as the Head of the Physician's Branch of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB). Kamuran Yıldırım reminded that his wife Gülser Yıldırım has been serving as Mardin MP for 3 terms.

Dr. Yıldırım noted that his wife has been in prison for 4 years without any finalized sentence and is held in Kandira Prison.

Dr. Yıldırım added: "This virus is causing many deaths. The lives of people in prisons are in danger. We know that the conditions of prisons provide the right environment for the coronavirus to spread. Prisoners should be allowed to serve their sentences under house arrests. In the case of my wife, her sentence won't exceed 9 years, so she would be entitled to serve it at home anyway. Many political prisoners are in the same situation. I would like to address all the authorities to immediately carry out their duties and find a way to get political prisoners out."

Dr. Yıldırım continued: "The authorities should not exclude political prisoners from the measures to be taken. If you keep prisoners there, the prisons will turn into morgues. I want to call on our people: the only crime of these people is to have protected your votes and your will. You should make your voice heard and don't accept that political prisoners are left face to face with the risk of death in prison."